Dark Fantasy Normalized – Chapter 61

“Here. Eat.”

Perrin handed over a freshly made, warm, and moist pearl.

The expression on their face was so full of confidence that if I hadn’t witnessed the manufacturing process right in front of my eyes, I might have swallowed it immediately, expecting a heavenly taste.

I briefly fell into despair, recalling the pearl I had swallowed before.

What was that liquid oozing down from the surface of the pearl, glistening as it flowed?

Despite not being interested in industry awards, I desperately hoped it was saliva. Anything else would be too hardcore.

Oh right. This wasn’t the time to worry about that.

“Perrin, are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, that pearl. Is it really okay for you to enjoy it like that infinitely?”

My concern seemed unfounded as Perrin remained calm.

It felt like my words were sticking in my throat, but they wore an expression as if they were graciously holding back.

Damn. This is embarrassing.

If worrying really was a disadvantage, I would be bankrupt by now.

‘Isn’t that seriously just a hairball?’

I had doubts about the nature of the pearl, but it didn’t last long.

I’ve seen and felt enough not to dismiss it as mere waste.

To refocus the conversation that had gone off track, I brought up the topic of the ‘Spirit Core.’

Given the situation, I had one possibility in mind.

Perrin, artificial and abandoned by their kin, raised by elves.

Maybe Perrin lacked knowledge about spirits?

So maybe they were producing cores without even knowing they might die.

“Are you an idiot? Are you telling me about the Spirit Core when I’m a spirit? Or is it that? You thought I was some defective product treated like an idiot by other spirits, and that I wouldn’t know basic common sense?”

I was worried.

Not only that, but I inadvertently touched a nerve with Perrin.

Like a wounded puppy, their threshold for anger was extremely low.

The rage sparked by my words misinterpreted their intent and began to surface, baring teeth in fury.

I spoke calmly, so as not to rile up the hurt puppy.

“I didn’t mean anything bad. I was just worried about you.”

Perrin flinched, momentarily pausing their anger.

But soon regained their momentum, pressing me further.

“Worried? Who asked for your concern? Ha. Is that it? Since I keep appearing foolish in front of you, you think you have some sort of superiority? Don’t flatter yourself. I absolutely despise humans, especially someone like you—”

Perrin approached me slowly, like a wolf stalking its prey.

That proximity seemed to have been the problem.

“…”

Suddenly, Perrin shivered and stopped in their tracks.

“D-damn it… don’t get the wrong idea… this is… just because I just released all your energy…”

Before leaving, Perrin mumbled dramatically like a villain.

Then, charging at me with full vigor, they suddenly became like a puppy welcoming its master.

Perrin nuzzled their face against my chest.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The tail wagged excitedly.

“I’m sorry for getting angry…”

Like an extension of a “heeee,”

Perrin said in a voice thick with nasal tones.

“After hearing what you said… I suddenly became concerned about how you think of me… I was anxious, thinking maybe you, like my kin, might be looking down on me…”

At this moment, the emotion I felt was pure guilt.

‘What am I going to do when Perrin runs out of energy later?’

Could I really call this drawing Perrin close ‘pure energy’?

At this point, isn’t that just some hypnosis app?

If I were in Perrin’s shoes, I’d be too embarrassed to even hold my head up high.

In any case, I resolved to comfort Perrin by gently patting their back.

Ignoring the insistence for a belly rub from their twitching rear.

“You’re a magnificent wolf, Perrin. And you’re my precious friend. That’s why I was worried.”

“Worried…?”

“Yeah. Someone taught me about the Spirit Core. They said it was a very important object for spirits, and that a spirit without its core could lead to trouble.”

“…Isn’t that strange?”

“Huh?”

“I… feel differently from other spirits… doesn’t it feel off…?”

“Not at all. Quite the opposite, actually.”

“Opposite?”

“I think you’re amazing, Perrin. You can do things other spirits can’t.”

“I can do things other spirits can’t…”

“You’re not wrong; you’re special. At least, that’s what I think.”

“…”

After a moment, the pressure in my chest lifted.

Perrin took a rapid step back from me.

“Jeez…”

A prickly wolf girl inadvertently revealed her tender feelings.

Perrin shot me a glare, her eyes brimming with shame.

“Damn you…”

I felt wronged, but chose not to protest.

Even if I claimed innocence, it wouldn’t compare to how Perrin felt.

Days turned into hours, and eventually, Perrin could act as if nothing had happened.

Perrin’s explanation about the core replication incident was this:

“As you can see, I’m a mutant with a body that’s a spirit. So, there’s no issue with extracting the core.”

“Oh…”

“Don’t look at me like that. I warned you.”

Perrin’s mouth curled slightly in a growl.

“Also, it feels liberating to expel the core.”

“Liberating?”

“Whenever I meet you, the core reacts and takes a physical form, and every time that happens, I feel bloated.”

“Seriously, like a hairball.”

“What?”

“I mean, is it really okay to just spit it out like that?”

“Hey. It’s my core, and I can do whatever I want with it. What’s it to you?”

“I’m just worried. What if something goes wrong?”

“…”

Thud.

Perrin kicked the floor in frustration.

“Honestly, it’s a bit painful.”

“Then—”

“But I actually like it.”

“What?”

“This level of pain reminds me that I’m alive.”

Heh.

Perrin let out a quiet laugh.

“…!”

So here’s a spirit wolf girl with a middle school syndrome who periodically spits out hairballs.

Isn’t that quite the overkill?

I looked at Perrin, shocked.

Interpreting my shocked response, Perrin smiled satisfyingly.

“You normal guys wouldn’t understand. Well, I’m not expecting you to do so anyway.”

Perrin suddenly looked up to the sky and murmured.

“What a wonderful moon. It feels like it embraces my dirtiness while illuminating it.”

The line and posture seemed practiced.

I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

I shouldn’t laugh.

Feel that delicate mental world. Feel the vibe and coolness.

“Perrin is… surprisingly poetic. I didn’t know this side of you.”

“…”

Heh.

Perrin gave me a bittersweet smile.

That bittersweet smile seemed utterly satisfying, a secret between Perrin and me; indeed, it was the epitome of a bittersweet smile.

“It’s not that wonderful. Quite the opposite.”

“Opposite…?”

“Ah… Only an unremarkable loner can become the moon’s true friend.”

“Oh, I see.”

Whether my heartfelt words reached Perrin or not, by the end of the performance, she was in high spirits.

“Hey.”

Perrin casually handed me the core.

“Take it. Since it’s basically a core created by your energy. Oh, just so you know, it’ll have less power than the last one. That was my first core.”

First core.

I wanted to tell the other spirits about it and see their reactions.

First heart.

First testicle.

That’s the kind of vibe it would give off.

“But since it’s created solely by your energy, it’ll be much purer.”

“If I eat it, can I expect the same effects as before?”

“…”

Perrin stared at me for a moment before shaking her head.

“No. Your energy is already flowing inside you. Eating it won’t yield any significant effect.”

“Then, doesn’t that mean I don’t need it anymore?”

“What? Elves were so eager to get these, but you humans are different, I guess?”

“Um… I mean, not really different, but—”

“What? Just take it.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“I don’t care about material things.”

After handing me the core without a second thought, Perrin left the place.

I admit it.

That was really impressive.

Especially the part about giving away something they didn’t care about to me.

“See? There’s really no loss in worrying.”

Returning to my lodging with an unexpected gain, I went to sleep feeling good.

*

The next morning.

Ricir entered the meeting room located in the Main Building of the Mage Tower in response to the summons.

Several gray masters, including Master Ladros, and representatives of the blue and green masters, making up the investigation team, held their positions.

This was the occasion to announce the investigation results.

“Therefore, on behalf of the Blue Mage Tower, I officially declare that the investigation has concluded.”

“Therefore, on behalf of the Green Mage Tower, I officially declare that the investigation has concluded.”

In other words, this was just a formal gathering to wrap up the formalities.

The meeting ended in less than ten minutes after it had started.

Ricir was taken aback and glanced around.

This is the reason these precious individuals gathered?

Of course not.

There aren’t many opportunities for the representatives of various towers and sects to meet in one place.

Even after the meeting concluded, they remained seated, continuing to chat.

“Is it true the saint is still hiding away? That’s quite the concern.”

“Speaking of which, the Blue Mage Tower’s master position is still vacant—”

“Ah, I heard the World Tree’s roots have been infected with some disease that hasn’t been reported. If our sect’s help is needed—”

“By the way, I’ve heard the Gray Master still hasn’t shaken off the dark omen—”

Ricir, seated quietly and listening, heard their talks with mild indifference.

‘Super urgent!!!!”

Ricir regretted not quickly saying, “Well, I’ll take my leave now,” as soon as the meeting was over.

Representatives of the colossal group, entwined in complex political ties, casually hosted a ‘power feast’ as though it were second nature.

Scratching?


Oh. Not scratching. What about you, are you scratching?


Not scratching at all.


For a while, small talk under the pretext of asking how they were doing began exchanging like nothing.

After entrapping Ricir in that storm, how long had it been?


Once they confirmed there were no frail prey that could fall behind at the power feast, they finally began constructive discussions.

“Regarding the hidden saint, the infected roots of the World Tree… would any of the normalization targets I just heard about be a possibility…?”

At that moment, a topic that caught Ricir’s interest was mentioned while they were indirectly participating in the conversation.

“Speaking of which, Master Latsiel, I have a matter I’d like to inquire about.”

Master Ladros, who maintained a consistently confident demeanor as a representative of the Gray Mage Tower, carefully directed his inquiry toward Master Latsiel of the Green Mage Tower.

“It’s regarding the spirit residue that just arrived.”

Spirit residue.

It can be considered the degraded product of the Spirit Core, an item imbued with the energy of spirits, which, by its nature, was consumed in various fields of magic.

Whether it be for magical research, elixir production, or—

It was a critical resource that the Gray Mage Tower needed in its extensive magical studies.

The Gray Mage Tower depended on the Green Mage Tower for most of that spirit residue’s supply.

There was no other choice; the distribution of spirit residue was mainly conducted by a few groups in the Great Forest.

The Green Mage Tower was the group that accounted for the largest share.

“There was something unavoidable that caused the quality and quantity of the spirit residue that arrived this time to drop significantly, and many officials in our tower are struggling. I wish to understand the Green Mage Tower’s stance clearly to seek a solution.”

“You’re just gonna have to deal with the situation,” was Latsiel’s blunt response.

In contrast to Ladros’s urgency was Latsiel’s firm attitude.

“Cough…”

Ladros displayed a dissatisfied expression but didn’t take any further action.

At least regarding matters related to spirits, the Green Mage Tower held absolute superiority.

If he were to irritate her, he could find himself in an even worse situation.

Witnessing the events unfold, Ricir cautiously spoke to the previously seated Ladros.

“Master Ladros, may I ask you something?”

“Oh? Are you asking me a question!? Go ahead and ask.”

“I heard our tower is experiencing hardships due to the lack of that spirit residue. Is there something that could serve as a substitute?”

Ricir pulled out Perrin’s Spirit Core from his pocket and showed it to Master Ladros.

“Hmm? What’s this…?”

Ladros scrutinized Perrin’s Spirit Core.

“…!!!”

After a brief moment, he took a deep breath.

All attention in the room turned toward him.

“…!”

The Green Master Latsiel.

“Oh my god.”

The Blue Master Enna.

“Ricir, could that be—”

High Priest Barodros.

They each expressed disbelief regarding the Spirit Core in different manners.

“W-where did you get that!”

The elves of the Green Mage Tower present at the meeting displayed their emotions for the first time before humans.

Latsiel leaned forward, exclaiming.

Had the distance been closer, she might’ve snatched the Spirit Core right then and there.

Ricir was flustered.

While he knew Perrin’s Spirit Core was a remarkable item, he hadn’t expected the second degraded version to hold this level of value.

“I received it as a gift from a spirit I know—”

“You were gifted a core!? Nonsense!”

“…”

Ricir felt wronged but couldn’t argue otherwise.

This testicle, you ask? I received it as a gift.

That perception would have been the impression given to the elf.

While it was, in fact, merely a hairball.

“It must have been acquired through unjust means. I strongly advise that this item be transferred to the Green Mage Tower!”

Ricir was familiar with this tactic.

The elf played their card of ‘Spirits? Our jurisdiction!’

“I object!”

Surprisingly, the one raising their voice against this was not the Gray Master, but the Blue Master, Enna.

“You have no right to make such a claim! By what authority do you assume that this is an improperly acquired item!?”

“That’s right! We must respect Ricir’s rights! Therefore, this sect formally—”

“Everyone, what in the world are you doing! Maintain some decorum!”

The atmosphere gradually became intense.

“I cannot agree!”

“What do you mean, then?”

“What do you mean? It’s only natural to hear the opinion of the owner, Ricir!”

Ultimately, the masters and priests began to argue in raised voices over a single Spirit Core.